Posted by: chip () on Sun Apr 28 17:21:19 2002

I'm curious about your thoughts on Paul Petricca's Torque Technique hitting (discovered on webball.com) where you lay the bat head across your upper arm at the bottom of the Deltoid muscle. I have two high school age sons who are trying it and the early results are very encouraging. They've always had trouble waiting and this really made a difference

It's been a while since I read about it, but that's pretty much what Mike Epstein has his students do during his drills. Also a great way to be in the "ready" position when hitting off of a machine. I would think it would help any long swinged kid that's always late or a kid who wants to bring his arms thru too early ( makes for an easy way too remember to keep the top half closed while bottom half is opening up).Later on they can learn actual loading when the rest of the mechanics are second nature. My 12 year old initially mocked the idea and now I'm noticing him putting the bat there without thinking. He then takes it off loads up some, but the bats stays close to the upper arm while his buddies have their bats waving around aimlessly up in the air. He is now very quick to the ball.